The present invention relates to a surface inspecting apparatus for inspecting a surface shape of an object to be inspected.
In a thin plate such as a semiconductor wafer, an optical disk, a magnetic disk or the like, a surface shape (flatness of surface etc.) effects significant influence on quality. Further, a rapid change in a surface shape is liable to emerge at an edge portion of a thin plate. Hence, when a surface shape of the thin plate which is an object to be inspected is inspected by an interference fringe, or the like, it is requested to accurately grasp an edge position of the shin plate.